1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to vehicles and, in particular, to aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to landing gear systems for aircraft.
2. Background
A landing gear system is a structure that supports an aircraft on the ground. A landing gear system is used by an aircraft during different phases of operation, such as taxiing, takeoff, and landing. Typically, a landing gear system includes wheels and a shock absorber for use on the ground. With commercial aircraft, a landing gear system is retractable. For example, the legs and wheels attached to the legs on the landing gear system may retract into the wing and/or the fuselage of the aircraft during flight. The leg on which the wheel is attached to the aircraft is also referred to as a strut.
The length of the strut in the landing gear system may affect the performance of the aircraft. For example, when the strut has a longer length, the aircraft may be able to pivot or rotate more on takeoff. This capability may allow for the use of a less-powerful engine, less thrust during takeoff, and/or a shorter length of the runway used to takeoff. The longer length of the struts in a landing gear system, however, may result in undesired configurations in the design, maintenance, and/or operation of an aircraft.
The different advantageous embodiments take into account one or more of the issues discussed above, as well as possibly other issues.